Remnants

Remnants (2025), oil paint on canvas, Jillian Ballas

Along a forgotten road in the Wild Sky Wilderness stands the charred remains of an old growth evergreen tree. A sentinel sits in what was once a lush forest – a remnant of the past that serves as a reminder of the fragility of nature and a symbol of regrowth.

In 2021, the Bolt Creek fire tore through almost 15,000 acres of pristine wilderness in the North Cascades. Raging through beloved hiking trails, cabins, and mountain passes, it was a stark reminder that this vibrant landscape is vulnerable to climate change and human impact. What was once painted in a thousand shades of green, burned to black and white.

Almost 4 years later, many parts of this land are still scarred and barren. However, if you look closely, you will see the emergence of new life – moss on blackened bark, fireweed growing where there once were ferns, and seedlings growing from the earth.

‘Remnants’ is a portrait of this old evergreen that acts as a tangible memory of what once existed in the landscape, the harsh change that was thrust upon it, and a reminder of what could be here again.